STATE ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSIONS

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Constitution of State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) is optional under the Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998. Section 17 of the Act provides that the State Government may constitute SERC, if it deems fit. The Act also gives discretion to the State Government in terms of assignment of functions to SERCs. While sub-section (1) of section 22 of the Act stipulates mandatory functions of SERCs, sub-section (1) of section 22 of the Act stipulates mandatory functions of SERCs, sub-section 2 of section 22 provides for optional functions, which may be conferred upon the SERCs by the State Government, if they so choose.

Twenty-one SERCs have been constituted/notified. Out of these seventeen are functional. Fifteen Commissions have already started issuing tariff orders.

Operationalisation of SERCs has been made a pre-condition for Central assistance under the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme.